May 13, 2009

VOTING

Today happens to be the the Lok Sabha Elections 2009 Day in Chennai. On a wonderful and as-usual long conversation with friend, philosopher, guide and fellow traveller on the path of life, Varun aka Dodo, these discussions stemmed and both our gray cells got working.

The following are a few sentiments we both jointly express and wish to see being implemented in our beautiful land.

>>> We as citizens should rather than discussing whether to vote or not, get ourselves to educate the rural folk about the workings of democracy and prevent them from getting enticed by free offers and subsidized rates.

As a country, our strength lies in the villages. People there, in most villages, are in an abject state of misery. They fight for basic sustenance and any offers of free goods and low prices are what would help them survive.

In such 'survival of the fittest' situations, an intelligent man's strategic propaganda will make no sense! What they want is their rice and bean and their vote shall go to the very parties that promise these.

What we must do here is to make them understand party politics and get them to see that it is of no long term solution.

One must get down to the so-often-mentioned grassroots and educate the poor to realize and recognize the power they hold and get them to use it wisely.

>>> Instead of complaining that the educated don't vote, find newer means of getting them to vote.

In a fast-paced world where almost all the educated and working people fight for seconds to relax, asking them to vote, in a land where no dramatic good has happened since independence, is near-futile!

Half of our learned folks are abroad and the rest are too caught up with the work-whirl to take time out to vote.

Facilities like SMS voting(free) and Internet voting facilities should be made available to the public.

Like an ATM card has a secret PIN, every Voter's ID no should have an associated secret PIN number, that could allow the access of the person to vote from anywhere authentically.

This shall see a definite and drastic increase in the polling percentage and lead to, hopefully, better governance.

>>> Make certain public services, compulsory for all the contestants.

The contestants of a particular constituency/region, should be made to do public awareness campaigning for a month before the elections. This is to spread general information about elections, politics,etc and NOT about their party.

In this period, the contestant shall be allowed only a restricted number of helpers who can aid him in his work. He needs to make sure he reaches out to every single locality in person and not by proxy. Organized street-wise/locality wise meetings should be organized and door-to-door spreading of awareness should also be executed.

Although this seems like a tough call, one feels that it is of utmost importance for hierarchy and power-play to be destroyed, and a person-to-person contact and humanitarian considerations to be immediately established.

>>> Improve Organizational efficiency and destroy hierarchy

In India, one sees people giving undue importance to power and position rather than ideas and skills. What one must realize that although age, experience and position may make a person better equipped to take decisions, it may not necessarily be so! Also, a person who may not have any kind of power to make that decision can definitely come up with a better solution to a given problem and has to be respected for it.

Governance is for the better functioning of the land. Due to these mismanagement and disorganization issues, we see even the little good that could reach the people, going horribly awry!

***

When all of the above are executed, there shall definitely be a visible improvement in the scheme of things and we will actually be able to establish a better rule over the country.

We wonder if ever these shall actually get implemented. But with all the kind of restrictions that the present situation poses in the form of work and education, this is the little way we are trying to reach society immediately.

Do pass on your suggestions, opinions etc on this issue through your comments.

And, DO exercise your vote.

You'd rather have voted than let someone else, misuse your vote to gain their selfish means!

2 comments

Hmmm....I like the way you have summed up the way how voting can make a difference. I totally agree with u on this. Its a good thing that a good deal of our generation is willing to make a difference as far as the political mechanics goes. If only we had some way to create a greater awareness (pamphlets, etc) with regard to all this.

PS: Sorrie if my comment arrived a bit late. Has been an awfully busy week.And I dont see a follow button on ur blog!!!